Thursday, September 12, 2013

"Slow is the new slogan. Slow food, slow art, slow time. Many artists today are tuning themselves to slow down and pay closer attention to their lives as a source for inspiration." These are the words of author, Suzi Banks Baum, and they are words that resonate deeply with me.In the past ten years, I have learnt a great deal about slowing down. I was forced to start learning when I had chronic fatigue which left me unable to do much but shower and get back into bed for a period of about two months. I made a commitment to listen to my body, and to give it permission to rest when it was tired, instead of pushing it on. Learning to be kind to ourselves is not easy. I leave this weekend for three weeks in Italy. And even though I have learned to slow down significantly, I still find myself needing to slow down even more, and more importantly, wanting to feel comfortable in the slowing down, the doing less, and just being more. I hope to learn much from being surrounded by the Italian culture. To see how a culture which values the siesta - called the riposa in Italy - can stop in the middle of the day to rest and restore (what about that list of things waiting to be done?) I believe knowing how to let go to bring oneself back into balance is an art form.

I hope all will understand if I am slow in responding to emails during this time away. To find a new slow, I think one has to remove oneself from familiar patterns, and for the three weeks in Italy, daily access to the internet will be one of the ways I will be giving myself time to let my soul slow down.

Being a Creative Photographer

About Me

Catherine believes in the power of the image to call our attention to the beauty and the pain in the world around us. She is the author of the book "The Creative Photographer" published by Lark Books. Her journey of self-discovery has taken her from attorney to photography franchise owner to creativity-workshop facilitator. She loves being a creative mid-wife assisting others in giving birth to their creative eye and guiding them to express themselves in the world. Catherine teaches SoulCollage®, Creativity, Visual Art Journaling, Book-making and Photography classes in her studio in Charlotte, NC, and also teaches at Art & Soul, the John C. Campbell Folk School and leads photography retreats in Italy, France and South Africa.

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Remember

What shape waits in the seed of you to grow and spread its branches against a future sky? David Whyte

"Purpose is the place where your deep gladness meets the world's needs." Frederick Buechner

"Infinite patience produces immediate results." from A Course in Miracles - Infinite patience implies an absolute certainty that what you'd like to manifest will indeed show up, in perfect order, and exactly on time.

Life

"LIVE DEEP INSTEAD OF FAST."Henry Canby

Courage

"May you find the courage to offer yourself fully to what has heart and meaning for you."Dawna Markova